CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The North Carolina heat was too much for the Thunder Bay Chill.
The host Charlotte Eagles scored unanswered goals in the first and second halves on Saturday and downed the visiting Chill 2-1 to capture their first Premier Development League championship.
The goals were the first the Chill had allowed in four playoff games and a disappointing way to put a wrap on an otherwise successful soccer season, said Thunder Bay captain Mitchell Osmond, who on Friday was named the league’s most valuable defender.
“At the end of the day, someone has to win, someone has to lose. Unfortunately we were on the losing end today,” Osmond said.
With temperatures soaring into the 30s at the Matthews Sportsplex, the heat was a factor, but certainly not the deciding one in a game that saw the Chill jump out in front in the 21st minute, Patricio Arce heading home a German Alfaro corner kick.
But the lead was short-lived.
Five minutes later the Eagles star striker Joao Costa scored the spectacular equalizer, connecting on a scissor kick while catching air in front of Chill keeper David Elias.
“Conceding right after the goal hurt us a little bit, off a set piece as well,” Osmond said. “It kind of deflated us a little bit. We had our chances, but it just wasn’t meant to be for us today.”
Thunder Bay coach Giovanni Petraglia said the goal, the first the team allowed in four playoff games, came too quickly and robbed the Chill of any momentum they might have gained scoring first while playing on the road.
“We didn’t even have time to celebrate, to settle down. However, we went into halftime with a 1-1 score, so the game was still there,” Petraglia said.
“We didn’t play our best game of the season, but we had a chance to come back in the second part of the second half, when we had a very good 10 or 15 minutes.”
The Eagles found themselves in foul trouble, Jovan Petrovic, Curren Page and Ashley Sibisi all assessed yellow cards in the first 34 minutes.
But it was a yellow to Chill midfielder Eddie Sanchez in the 60th that proved to be the difference.
Thunder Bay lined four players just inside the box in front of Charlotte captain Ryan Williams, who lofted the ball over the top of the wall, Brandon Swartzendruber just missing heading it out of harm’s way.
Elias, a rock all post-season, was unable to race across the net to make the stop, and the ball found the mesh for a 2-1 Charlotte lead.
Swartzendruber, who returned to play for the Chill after a one-year absence in search of a second PDL title, had two great chances to tie the score late in the second half, but couldn’t catch up to the ball on either occasion and the Eagles lead was safe.
“We’ve got to give credit to them,” the Colorado native said, acknowledging it was probably his last shot at a second ring.
“They scored two great goals. It’s heartbreaking for us … Today I found myself with a couple of chances that didn’t go my way. I’d give anything to get those back.”
The Chill had chances in the game’s dying minutes, but couldn’t get a clear shot on net, dropping their third straight PDL final appearances after winning it all in 2008.
